The Queen's Mistress
by Witchy Bee
Summary: It was commonplace for a king to have several concubines, so why could his queen not have just one? She would never be able to give him her heart, but at least she could give him an heir. Unless she couldn't even do that.
1. The Royal Wedding

Typically a royal wedding would be a long, drawn out affair. The nobility liked to bleed these things dry for every drop of happiness they could produce. The people already had cause to celebrate with the Blight ending, but what they needed now was hope.

Denerim was covered in a layer of ash and soot. At least the sky had lightened considerably from the blood red clouds that lingered for days after the battle. Outside, sunlight was starting to break through a wispy pastel pink atmosphere. Today Ferelden would gain a new king and queen, symbols of a brighter future. Camilia Cousland wasn't sure she wanted to be a symbol, but it was far too late for doubts now.

"Stop fidgeting!" Camilia sighed as Leliana braided her hair. "There, now. Stand up."

The gown was undeniably beautiful and ridiculously elaborates, but not quite as overdone as most Orlesian fashions, Leliana had said. The dress was an important symbol of wealth. One reason why a royal wedding is usually planned for months down to the last detail is so there will be time to have an exquisite dress made. But they didn't have time. Now that the Blight was over, people believed they had all the time in the world. As Grey Wardens, she and Alistair only had thirty years.

Of course now wasn't the time to think about that.

Camilia stared at herself in the cracked looking glass. Her corseted waist appeared unhealthily slender, and her hips looked a bit too wide. The just slightly off-white gown did have a sort of quite simplicity that she liked. The length of its train was rather excessive, though. Leliana had spent an hour selecting the perfect shoes, and you couldn't even see them.

"It's a lot different than armor." Camilia said, absently bringing a hand up to touch her Warden's Oath which still hung from a chain around her neck.

"It's lovely, and it suits you, whether you think so or not." Leliana replied, coming to stand behind her lover who was about to marry one of her best friends and become queen all in one day. She was amazing like that. The Orlesian's lips brushed lightly against her skin. "Having second thoughts?"

"How can I not when you do things like that?" she sighed. "I feel guilty for dragging you into this."

"I chose to stay, remember?" Leliana pointed out. "If I didn't want to, I would go."

"But I asked you to."

"I love you, Camilia." Maker curse her weakness, but something about the way Leliana spoke her name sent a tingle through Camilia's very core. "As long as that's true, I'm not going anywhere. Now I have to get ready. I'll see you at the chantry in a little while."

"So much for not going anywhere." she muttered. The bard was already gone. Camilia knew she had no right to feel this way; she had asked for this, after all. She had stood before the Landsmeet and announced that she would rule by Alistair's side. It was her duty. They were doing this for the good of Ferelden, but it was far from ideal for them.

"Ready to wed Prince Charming?" Fergus smirked, leaning casually against the door-frame. There still remained a certain element of disbelief upon seeing him.

"Then I suppose he'll be King Charming." she quipped. He laughed and hugged her. They were the only family either of them had now.

"You don't love him, do you?" Fergus asked quietly. Camilia opened her eyes, pulled away from the embrace, unable to face him.

"How can you tell?"

"I know when you love someone, sis." he said simply. "I've seen the way you look at the redhead." Camilia bit her lip. "Why are you marrying him? You never seemed to have any interest in the throne before." But then, she'd done a lot of growing up in the last year.

"Alistair is a good man, but he's not a politician." she explained. "He needs me. I didn't save Ferelden just to let it tear itself apart at the seams. Besides, I'm a Cousland; I do what must be done."

"I never thought you would get trapped in a marriage of convenience."

"Yeah, well, people change." Camilia shrugged. "I know Mother and Father wanted me to marry for love, but no one ever said the person you love and the person you marry can't be different."

Fergus wasn't sure what to say to that. A silence passed in observance of their parents' memory. It somehow hurt more now that she didn't have to grieve alone. Camilia missed them more than ever, missed their guidance.

)O(

The next few hours went by in a blur of light and noise and everyone trying to get a look at her. Camilia did recognize a few familiar faces in the crowd - Bann Teagan, Arl Bryland, Lady Isolde - but mostly they were indistinguishable. The heat from the candles combined with the too many bodies pressed together in such a small space. Camilia felt like she was suffocating.

Fergus walked her down the isle in place of her father. Leliana stood beside her, wearing a marvelous blue dress that matched the Orlesian's eyes. Camilia turned away from the woman she loved to face the man who was to be her husband.

"Just as the Maker married His divine bride, Andraste, so we gather to witness a similar bond of souls in the Maker's eyes." the Grand Cleric said. Alistair appeared more nervous than she ever thought was possible. They fumbled through the ceremonial obligations, swore to be faithful to Ferelden and each other. Finally, he brushed her veil aside, and lightly kissed her lips. But that wasn't good enough. It had to look real. They all had their various roles to play, after all.

On that day, she officially became known as Queen Camilia Cousland-Theirin.

)O(

The reception was held at the palace. Everyone with any ties to nobility took this chance to congratulate the new king and queen. People ceased to care about the Blighted lands or the homeless refugees. They forgot about the dead that still required mourning. For now, they had something hopeful to cling to.

She lost Leliana in the crowd of eager guests.

Camilia tossed the bundle of white flowers over her shoulder. It was caught by Alfstanna, the bann of Waking Sea.

Ferelden's queen needed a drink.

"You do not seem very happy, my Warden." Camilia's would-be assassin turned friend remarked. "Or should I say your Majesty?"

"I'm just tired, Zev." It was a lie, of course. "Long day, you know?"

"Mmm..." The elf watched her with a devious twinkle in his eye. "That is a pity indeed. You'll need your energy for tonight, surely. You do intend to give our dear virgin prince the wedding night he has always dreamed of, yes?"

Oh Maker, how could she forget? They were married now. Camilia had certain duties that went beyond merely political in nature.

"Oh..."

"Don't worry." Zevran continued. "I shall look after the lovely Leliana. I do believe she's had a bit too much champagne. And you will be fine. You are a woman of many talents, my dear, do not doubt that."

This was going to be a long night.


	2. Consummation

**A/N:** I forgot to mention in the previous chapter that the title for this story and thus most of the inspiration came from my best friend, McKenzie McCann. She asked me to provide a link to her blog, but since I know that links never work on this site, all I can say is google her. Also, thank you all for your interest in this little fic of mine.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Sexual content.

)O(

"Maybe we could just...you know, _not_."

"Don't take this the wrong way," Camilia said. "But I'm not too fond of this either."

"Right, but why now?" he questioned. "Who's going to know? I don't see how what we do in the privacy of our bedchambers is any concern to the public."

"Alistair," she looked at him as if he were a slow child. "You're the _king_; you don't get privacy anymore. Everything that we do concerns the public, especially this. You know why."

Alistair sat on the edge of the bed, stripped down to his trousers and dress-shirt; several of the buttons were undone. She stood there, fiddling with the stubborn laces of her corset. They'd been making pretty good progress for two people with absolutely no amount of sexual tension between them. That is, until he got this idea in his head that they could afford to wait.

"It's just...I don't know." Alistair was obviously thinking very hard. "I mean, it's not just anyone we're talking about here, it's _you. _I'm worried it'll be..."

"Awkward? Uncomfortable? Downright weird?" Camilia suggested, for she'd envisioned the scenario before and it never ended well.

He cleared his throat. "Well, yeah. All of the above, I guess."

"At least I'm not Morrigan." she said, and immediately regretted it on account of the tense silence that followed. They never talked about that night before the battle. They never discussed what she had asked him to do in order to save both of their lives. If she had just died like she was supposed to, he wouldn't be in this situation right now. "Sorry..."

Somewhere out there was a very pregnant Morrigan who would one day give birth to his child. If all went as according to plan here, so would Camilia, but they both knew the odds of two Grey Wardens having a child of their own.

"No, you're right." Alistair waved a hand dismissively. "That helps, actually. You're not Morrigan, so at least we have that. And it's not like you aren't attractive. And we're friends, married friends, now."

He had to say these things to prepare his mind for what their bodies were about do. Camilia knew that. Still, there was no comfort for her in the knowledge that Leliana was alone tonight because the queen had to attend to her duties.

"Perhaps we should get it over with?"

He nodded and they continued to undress slower than before. Eventually, the king and queen stood facing one another, just as the Maker made them. That was a mistake. Camilia found herself wanting to laugh due to the sheer oddness of the scene. Naked Alistair was not something she'd ever thought about until this moment. It just seemed...odd.

He blushed, clearly liking what he saw. It was impossible to achieve total darkness, as moonlight relentlessly streamed in through the curtainless windows. Suddenly she was beneath him, trapped between the sheets and the muscular body like a flower pressed in a book to dry. It felt suffocating.

Then Alistair was inside of her, and it felt so different from Leliana's delicate fingers. He was gentle, afraid he might hurt her somehow, and that made it worse. It was impossible for Camilia to lose herself in the sensations. Not that it was all bad, but she desperately wanted to forget that the person making her feel this way was not her lover, but merely her husband.

She gasped and cried out someone's name, hoping for Alistair's sake, that it was his.

Camilia woke from a light sleep to find him holding her. It had been a long day and night. They both had every right to be exhausted. She lay there for a moment in the stillness, praying that it had worked, before lifting his arm up and sliding out of bed.

Slipping on her nightgown, she quietly moved toward the door. Here she stopped to check that Alistair's breaths remained steady, but he was still sleeping as if someone had cast a spell on him.

Camilia vanished into the corridor, which was lit with torches. Thankfully, she encountered no guards on her way to Leliana's room. Not that they would ever question her directly, but that was how scandals and rumors got started. The queen had a certain image to put forth; she must be pure and unspoiled. Sneaking off in the dead of night to visit an Orlesian bard didn't exactly help that.

Aforementioned bard lay tangled in the soft white sheets, her red hair splayed across the pillow, also tangled.

Camilia grinned as she crawled under the covers. Leliana's blue eyes opened and blinked at her a few times.

"Hello, you..." Leliana smiled in that half-awake way, still slightly drunk from the night before.

"Hey," Camilia returned.

"What's wrong?" Damn it. Why did she have to be so good at reading people?

"Nothing at all, love." The truth was that Camilia felt unworthy and disloyal, both to Alistair and this magnificent woman in her arms. Of course every party involved had known what this was before agreeing to it, so there was no logical reason why she should feel this way.

Leliana was too tired to question her further. Dawn rapidly approached outside the palace, turning the sky a deep shade of indigo. Already the Orlesian had drifted off to sleep once more, and Camilia longed to do the same, but her first day as queen had begun.


	3. Meeting Andraste

"Do you..._feel _any different?"

Camilia looked up from her breakfast of bread, fish, and wine. The fish reminded her of Highever which had once been home. Alistair was blushing, and for a second she didn't catch his meaning, until she recalled what they had done the night before. Obviously Wynne was right; he lacked a fundamental understanding of where babies came from and how long it took for a woman to suspect she was pregnant.

"It's too soon to tell." Camilia informed him. "Besides, we're both Wardens, so it might not happen right away."

"Ah. Right, of course..."

They were both blushing now. The thought of repeating the events of last night was not something they particularly looked forward to. But there were yet more pressing issues at hand than producing an heir.

Ferelden stood united under a single banner for the first time since the days of King Calenhad, but only because there was a threat to their survival. Now that the threat had been eliminated, each faction returned to what they did best, and demanded something else of the monarchy.

The farmers, for example, were requesting monetary assistance to renew their tainted lands. Some mages were rallying for more autonomy for the Circle, Wynne reported, but after what happened with Uldred's rebellion it seemed unlikely the Chantry would allow it. The dwarves of Orzammar demanded human aid against the returning darkspawn, implying that it was the least they could do since dwarven troops had helped them fight the archdemon. King Bhelen appeared to have forgotten that it was she who gave him the crown in the first place.

And then there was Amaranthine.

The arling had once belonged to Rendon Howe, the wretched snake who killed her parents, but after his death by her hand it was given to the Grey Wardens. There was supposed to be a Warden sent from Orlais to watch over things there for a while. A controversial decision, of course, since Ferelden continued to have strained foreign relations with the empire that had ruled over them for a century, but Camilia certainly didn't have time to be both the queen and the Warden-Commander. That would be too much even for her.

Camilia didn't know a lot about this Ser Andras woman, but she figured it wasn't too important. She was a Warden, and that was enough to earn the queen's respect.

"Your M-Majesty," a soft-spoken maid stuttered. "There's s-someone here to s-see you. He says it's v-very urgent."

Of course it was. What matter that needed to be brought to their attention wasn't urgent lately? It just had to be another issue of life and death.

Alistair and Camilia rushed to the palace entrance, where they found a man, exhausted and bleeding. He babbled on senselessly about Amaranthine and darkspawn and Grey Wardens. The poor man said he needed to get help, and that certainly did seem to be the case.

"Last night...darkapawn attacked Vigil's Keep," he explained between gulps of air. "No one explected it. We all thought the worst was over. But there were too many, too fast, too...organized.

"Organized?" Camilia raised an eyebrow. "But how is that possible? The archdemon is dead. I saw it die..."

"Something else must be leading them." Alistair reasoned. He was actually making sense.

"Then that Warden, the Orlesian one, Ser Andraste or something like that..."

"Ser Andras?"

"Yeah, that's the name," he smiled slightly. "She sure reminded me of Andraste, a divine force to be reckoned with, all ice and fire as bright as the sun...I don't know if the Maker heard our prayers or what, but it was the closest thing I ever saw to a miracle."

It quickly became apparent that they would need to pay the Amaranthine a visit. They would have to make haste, too. It was time to see if this Ser Andras truly lived up to her reputation.

)O(

Sidona Andras was many things, an elf and a mage as well as a Grey Warden. This wasn't even including her Orlesian heritage. These were enough reasons for the typical Fereldan to despise her. She would have a difficult time as arlessa.

They were met at the gate by the Warden-Commander, another mage, and...Oghren? Yes, it was indeed her former dwarven companion. How good it felt to see him again. Was he here to become a Warden?

"It is an honor to meet you, your Majesty," Sidona said in an Orlesian accent that was even thicker than Leliana's. There was no hint of mockery in her voice. "I look forward to hearing of how you slew the archdemon and survived."

"I think there is business to attend to first." Camilia smiled politely. "What happened here?"

"I'm afraid I do not know." the elf's face darkened. "The darkspawn were already attempting to weaken the keep's defenses when I arrived. My theory is that they came from below, perhaps through a basement entrance that leads to the Deep Roads."

She was smarter than she looked.

"Sodding nug-humpers..." Oghren cursed. "It's good to see ya again, by the way. Sorry I missed the wedding. You probably wouldn't want me there anyway though. I'd just get drunk an' end up embarrassin' ya."

Camilia couldn't argue with that either, although it was nice to see an old friend. It had only been a month or so since the Battle, but it felt like an eternity to be separated from her companions who she had spent every waking hour with for more than a year.

It would seem this was going to be a long visit.


	4. Conversation

Camilia was not present when Anders the apostate, a female warrior named Mhairi, and Oghren took the Joining. It wasn't her place anymore. She was the queen, not the Warden-Commander. The girl, Mhairi, didn't make it. And she was reminded of something Duncan had once said about the sacrifice being made sooner or later.

As Camilia sat there in the dining hall at Vigil's Keep, eating dinner, she couldn't help but glance in Sidona's direction from time to time. She was a rather attractive woman, but Camilia had already given her heart to Leliana and besides she was also married to the king. But she wondered if the Orlesian knew something about Grey Warden fertility that she didn't.

"Ser Andras," she addressed the elf. "Could I please talk to you privately after supper?"

"Of course, your Majesty!" Sidona's face brightened considerably. "I'll be in my quarters tonight. We can talk there without interruption."

And so she waited. The room was not as fancy as she had expected. Most Orlesian abodes were downright tacky. But then, the Warden-Commander had not been permitted much time to unpack either with all the darkspawn about and apostates to Conscript.

At last she appeared. Sidona entered the room, apologized for her tardiness, and took a seat across from the queen. She then proceeded to let down her dark hair from its various clips and ties. Then she sighed and smiled wearily. There was a certain grace about her that was far greater than even the queen's own.

"Ser Andras-" Camilia began, but was quickly cut off.

"Please call me Sidona," the elf implored her. "We are both Wardens here, yes?"

"That's actually part of why I need to speak with you, Sidona." The Orlesian grew very attentive and gestured for her to continue, but she didn't know how to begin. "You see, King Alistair and I are both Wardens as well, and that raises some questions about...producing an heir."

"You wish to know if it is possible for two individuals who share the taint to have a child?" Camilia could only nod. She suddenly didn't trust her voice. "It is a topic I have researched thoroughly. I loved a man once - sadly, duty parted us in the end - but I was after the same answers you seek."

"And did you...did you find anything?" the queen asked.

"I did," Sidona confirmed, looking at her with pity in her eyes. "It is not impossible for a Warden to sire or birth a child with someone who is untainted, though it is quite rare, and in the case of two Wardens together..."

"What?"

"I'm sorry," the Orlesian said genuinely. "It has never happened before. That does not necessarily mean it cannot, but you don't have forever to try, especially when the throne requires an heir. You and your husband are the last of your lines, no?"

"It can't be..." She refused to believe it. "There has to be another way. What about magic?" Sidona shook her head. She would know, after all. Magic could not remove the taint from their blood, at least not yet anyway. "Then I could go to Weisshaupt and-"

"Camilia - may I call you Camilia?" The queen nodded. "Camilia, believe me when I say that the First Warden himself would not be able to give you a better answer, nor the one you want to hear. I truly am sorry."

Had she married Alistair for nothing? And what of Leliana? Had she ruined the bard's life because Maker, she loved her? She loved her so much and she'd ruined all their lives, hadn't she? How could she have thought it would all work out somehow? True, the Blight was over, but that didn't guarantee a happy ending.

"What am I going to do?" she wondered aloud.

"It is not unheard of, in Orlais," Sidona began slowly. "For an emperor to wed a barren woman and sire a child by another. Of course the empress has a say in who will bear the child. The surrogate is then highly respected."

"I've never heard of any such thing taking place in Ferelden."

The Orlesian shrugged. "It is something to consider."

Indeed it was. What choice did she have, after all?

Camilia lay awake that night next to Alistair, knowing she would have to tell him eventually but unable to bring herself to do it just yet. It was more important that the heir have Theirin blood than hers, so he truly would have to bed another woman. There was no other way.

What pained Camilia wasn't that she could not have a Warden's child, but that she could not fulfill her duty.

She missed Leliana whose singing and mere presence somehow made everything all right.

They left Amaranthine the next day since the situation appeared to be more or less resolved aside from the troubling detail of a talking darkspawn. Camilia believed the arling was in capable hands even so. Sidona wished her luck and bid them farewell, then the king and queen as well as the small army of guards they were obligated to travel with embarked on a long journey home to Denerim.

The nation could not run itself, that was for sure.


End file.
